Dr. A. Moses Lee

“Cracking the brain’s electrical code for OCD—making deep brain stimulation faster, safer, and more precise for those with the toughest cases.”

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be debilitating, and about 10% of patients with severe, treatment-resistant symptoms see little improvement from therapy or medication. For these individuals, deep brain stimulation (DBS) offers hope—but only around 60% respond, often after lengthy trial-and-error adjustments. Dr. Lee’s project seeks to improve outcomes by developing “closed-loop” DBS systems that automatically adjust stimulation in real time based on brain activity. His team is conducting a personalized, two-stage DBS trial at UCSF. In stage one, temporary electrodes map the brain networks underlying each patient’s symptoms to pinpoint optimal stimulation targets. In stage two, permanent Medtronic Percept devices both stimulate and record brain activity over time, allowing researchers to identify neural biomarkers—particularly within CSTC circuits—linked to symptom changes. By using these biomarkers to guide stimulation, this work aims to make DBS more effective, faster to optimize, and safer for individuals with the most challenging cases of OCD.

Andrew Moses Lee’s Bio

A. Moses Lee, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he directs the UCSF OCD Program and leads the Networks, Neuroscience, and Neuromodulation (N3) Lab. Trained entirely at UCSF in medicine, neuroscience, and psychiatry, Dr. Lee re-established the Adult OCD and Tic Disorder Clinic, where his interdisciplinary team delivers evidence-based care—including cognitive-behavioral therapy, medication management, and advanced neuromodulation treatments such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS)—for severe, treatment-resistant OCD. His research investigates how brain networks give rise to psychiatric symptoms, with a particular focus on identifying electrophysiological and imaging biomarkers that can guide targeted neuromodulatory interventions. Using tools ranging from surface and intracranial EEG to structural and functional MRI, his lab studies the default mode network, cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuits, and other systems implicated in OCD, depression, and related disorders. Dr. Lee’s work has been recognized with honors including the 2024 Deeda Blair Research Initiative Award, a NARSAD Young Investigator Grant, and the NIMH Outstanding Resident Award.